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A protagonist is the main figure of a piece of literature or drama and has the main part or role. Alternatively, the phrase denotes a primary advocate of or proponent for a cause or movement. The main character can be a hero or a villain in a story - it is just the character with the lead role. In literature, the protagonist (Classical Greek ) is characterized by his/her ability to change or evolve. Although a novel may center on the actions of another character, as in Herman Melville's "Bartleby the Scrivener", it is the dynamic character that typically allows the plot to progress in a manner that is conducive to the thesis of the work and earns the respect or attention of the audience. The original Greek phrase refers to the central character within a drama, deriving from a conflation of πρωτο-, proto- (the combinative form of protos 'first') and agōnistes ('one who contends for a prize').